Full Moon
by Zanzangoose
Summary: Currently coming up with a new summary I always seem to be changing the summary, sorry if it looks annoying! Although I'd be like majorly happy if you would read my story! Yup, like, over the moon. Oh, that's cheesy, I'm so sorry! thanks too, kupo
1. Just the beginnings

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles nor the charcter designs or plots that take place originally from the game. However some of te ideas that come this chapter may not happen in the game such as the dailogue or made up plots, plus some of the character names are made up for the purpose of the story. All other things are in the property ot producers Square Enix.

Final Fantasy; Crystal Chronicles 

**Full Moon**

**1 Just the beginnings**

The air blowing across the mountains was sweet and gentle. Knife edged peaks zigzagged and curved around the border of Veo Lu like ripples in sand, cupping a lake in the centre valley. Nothing else could be seen among the peaks but row after row of rocky mountains, only a small lush settlement perching on a side of a mountain at the edge of the lake habited the area. Water from the peaks passed over the shallow walls like steps and flowed into the lake, trickling around the columns and platforms of coral-like stone that stood as Shella; home to the tribe of Yukes.

Along a spur of land a crystal caravan came by, crunching the stones under its wheels. A selkie held the reins of a blue beast otherwise known as a papaopamus and drove the caravan. This was Ka Niel, as he was the least sociable of the group he didn't talk much, which was exactly what he was doing now. The papaopamus was no different except she snorted more, and is called Paru for short. A lilty skimmed the blade of her lance across the lake's surface, idly watching the ripples fan out as she went along and pushed back her enormous hat from her eyes. Her name's Naomi and like most lilties she had the similar characteristics; hotheaded, bossy and stubborn. There were also two clavats, one who is walking beside Naomi and one lugging at the back. At the front with the lilty Keris was a girl who grew up in her hometown, Tipa, since childhood. Chocolate brown hair knotted at its long end and matching hazel eyes, she is a kind soul but nevertheless a determined fighter. However the one at the back, was a boy, he had the job of carrying a heavy chalice around. His name is Rorie and he's almost as mysterious as the selkie, often thinking and often daydreaming. But he was innocent, everyone liked him because he was sweet and had a smile that brought out his warm nature. Like Keris he had natural brown hair with a flop just over his left eye that curled at the loose few strands and at the back of his neck and his eyes were a little darker.

Having just departed out of the miasma stream they were heading for Shella for a reason, most hadn't considered about the myrrh. Myrrh is a very special substance that all crystal caravans venture out for and search for it far and wide. They need it for their village. Drawing closer at the entrance they hurried ahead, Naomi rushing in front with her lance pointing.

"Ahead! There's Shella!" she called and Keris looked to Rorie at the back.

"You awake? We're nearly there, catch up okay, Rorie?" she said, and ran after her.

Rorie hadn't noticed she was talking to him until he heard his name but she was already far away. "Coming," he muttered, and tried walking faster. He became level at the front and looked at the selkie curiously. Sensing he was being watched Ka Niel glared at him from the corner of his eye, which made Rorie jerk his gaze away and hurried after the others.

Keris had stopped at Naomi's side and then they were talking to an elder yuke. Just as well he was looking where he was going Rorie stopped dead at a cut off route to Shella, crumbs of hard earth falling away at his feet at a short drop into water. Rorie drew back sharply with terror and when the caravan came by he inched back to it again, bumping into someone.

"Sorry, I didn– " he began but he was interrupted.

"Are you crystal caravanner?" said the stranger's nasal voice, pronouncing his letters precisely. Rorie saw that he had bumped into a yuke, towering over him with helmet hiding his features behind a shadow, which made Rorie uneasy.

"Yes, I am." said Rorie, eyeing him.

"Good. Use this to get in." Rorie felt an object nudge his stomach and he grabbed it without knowing, the yuke shuffled away trying to look inconspicuous. Rorie felt the object and examined it. It was a beautifully decorated blue box with the tribal mark of Shella on it. Just then he heard someone shout.

"What?!" cried Naomi. "But we have more important things to be done! We need to know what is wrong with – "

"No mark of Shella, no entry, that is that!" the elder yuke said curtly. "Imprudent youth, my word!"

"You wanna repeat that?" Naomi challenged him but Keris grabbed her back.

"Is this a mark of Shella? It's quite pretty, what would you need it for, sir?" Rorie stepped in and held out the object, trying to be as polite as possible. "If I give you this, would you let us in?" Rorie smiled pleasantly, but inside he praying for a fluke.

The elder yuke cocked his head and the feathers around his neck ruffled. "Certainly." He took the mark of Shella and gave it to the young yuke next to him, who sniggered. "Most certainly, enter in _peace_." He shot a look towards Naomi then with a slight gesture of his hand, a translucent bridge formed over the cut off route and connected to Shella. It sparkled like clear ice and glittered with magic, dazzling its crossers like sunlight shimmering off a wet surface. Without a word they crossed it to the other side, Rorie falling behind again so he could look over his shoulder. The stranger was following them.

Rorie thought the yuke was coming up to him and opened his mouth to say something, but instead the yuke brushed past and addressed Keris who he assumed was the leader. Rorie became glum and leaning he watched from a distance instead, they were talking over something and judging by Keris' face it looked quite serious. Suddenly she nodded at Ka Niel and the crystal caravan leapt forward, he stumbled, landing awkwardly on the stone path.

"Wait!" cried Rorie and scrambled to his feet and ran through people who had just dispersed after letting the caravan pass. His ankle was letting up and obeyed numbly, and he crashed into another person and they toppled about. He heard a clattering noise and then he realised the person had dropped little talismans and necklaces he was selling around the junction. They skittered everywhere and passer-by's kicked them away without notice. Rorie tried gathering up the remaining talismans and felt annoyed and clumsy of himself for crashing into someone for the second time.

"I'm so sorry, I was trying to catch up and I tripped and – " he became surprised as he looked up, for what he thought was a yuke, was a clavat just like him. "I'm sorry. I'll pay for it," he continued, handing the clavat the charms and digging into his pockets. His face went blank as his hands came across nothing. "Erm, well… I'll … "

"Hey, no worries, it's fine! I haven't sold a thing here so what's the loss?" smiled the clavat, flicking a dull blonde strand of hair away.

"I'm sorry, I've been bumping into everything today." Rorie smiled back but it turned lopsided with a frown. "I didn't think clavats would live here," he said.

The clavat brushed the dust off his blue garments. "Don't know about that, but I don't live here that's for sure. Just came here to do a bit of decent earning, but it turns out nobody's interested in charms or amulets." He said. "Oh, and I'm half selkic too by the way,"

Rorie stared at him weirdly. "Is that possible?"

The clavat laughed. "Well, my ma's a clavat and my pa's a selkie, I guess it must be weird, huh?" he smiled again. "You're funny. Hey, I'm Nestor, nice meeting you!"

Rorie shook his hand. "I'm Rorie Thaih, from Tipa."

"Oh, sweet." Nestor starting picking through the charms in his hands and held one out for him. "Here, have a charm. We'll meet again hopefully. See you around Rorie Thaih! Looks like it's back to my music again."

Music? He noticed the lute strapped on his back as the boy walked away. "Er, bye. Nestor." Rorie fumbled about with the charm in his hand and frowned again. What a strange person, he thought, tying the leather string round his neck and tucking it behind his collar. Might as well wear it, he thought. He turned to go back after his caravan, which he saw poking over the stone walls on a high platform beside a huge structured house. Taking care this time he wormed his way through crowds and sprinted up a steep path. His ankle began to ache again and sent a dull pain burning when his foot landed on the ground so to others he looked as though he was hopping up a hill. Finally he emerged at the top exhausted and there was his group at the far end by more tall yukes, the caravan parked far away with Ka Niel brooding around it. He arrived breathless and was greeted by Naomi.

"Where the heck have you been?"

"Oh, another one?" said a reedy voice belonging to a yuke standing right beside a floating hologram showing a map of the regions and elements. "Master Agamem, I thought you said they were all here."

The one called Agamem turned his helmet up. "How could I forget, I gave him the mark of Shella." Agamem directed his helmet at Rorie. "This is my teacher, and I'm his student, Agamem. And who might you be?"

"Rorie," he said and gulped a breath. "Thaih."

"That old yuke is still allowing those marketing pieces to go by? When will there be a bridge is all I say," complained the teacher. "Oh, pardon me, just my dribbling again."

"I've been listening to you drool for six years now." Grumbled Naomi. Keris punched her.

"Well, I've no reason to keep you then. You can tell master Rorie on the way to the sluice. There maybe you can work your way around and avoid any contact with monsters. I hear there have been sightings from our civilians here," wheedled the teacher.

Rorie appeared worried. "What's happening?" he said to Keris.

"You remember that the river Jegon is dried up?" she said. Rorie thought for a while, and remembering he nodded. The river had been dried up for so long now that he'd gotten used to the idea that it had been that way forever. It was the reason why they had set out to Shella. "Shella's caravan has never come back to sort it out, they've been missing for weeks. That's why the river hasn't changed, and because the sluice is blocking any water from passing through, the lake is rising. If things are not done quickly, maybe Shella's village could be drowned." She paused. "We're going to help and head to the sluice. It's something to do with flowers and reviving them."

Rorie still appeared worried. "O-okay," he uttered.

Finally appearing like he was awake, Ka Niel flicked the reins of Paru and began to lead the caravan down the path and the others followed, until they heard a cry.

"Hold on a moment!"

They stopped and all eyes settled on Agamem as he came shuffling to them. "Do you even know how to revive these plants of the sluice?"

"Kick 'em awake," suggested Naomi.

Keris exchanged looks with Rorie. "No, how do we do it then?" she said.

"Ah," he wheezed and pointed a furry hand at himself. "That's where I come in."

_Author's yip yap_

_Wow, did you really read all that? I sincerely thank you!  Must of really been long for a start, ah, well, I try. My first fanfic and it has taken me ages to get this far – well, I mean the planning and using a thesaurus. Oh, I babble. Sorry, did anything confuse you in this chapter? I guess the names might have. Okay then, for Ka Niel you say it like car-neil. That's how I like to call him! Keris sounds like ferris, and I'm sure Naomi is a real name, and you say Agamem like Ag-ah-mem. Okey dokey, thanks again for reading my fanfic! Zanzangoose_


	2. Encounters and a leak

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles 

**Full Moon**

**2 Encounters and a leak **

Veo Lu Sluice was quiet with inactivity. The noise of trickling water was absent and an odd drip drip sound echoed around the silence. Time appeared to have stopped; no one was around, no sound, and no water.

Rorie looked about warily, as did everyone else. It was too quiet, birdsong drifted from the trees and they could hear their own footsteps around themselves.

"No water anywhere, it really has stopped." Said Keris while looking around her sadly. "I didn't think it'd be so dried up."

The yuke tutted in response. "It's been like this for a while. Amidatty's return had not come for many a day, nearly a month to be precise." He said. "The plants have closed up, all they require is a bit of magic to push the restart button."

"That someone would be you, right?" Naomi asked nervously.

Agamem chuckled throatily. "Don't fret, I'll be conducting the magic, the rest of you would be defending my position." Naomi tried to laugh, aware of how useless at magic skills she was. Actually, she hadn't even tried it.

Somewhere behind them Rorie was still feeling uncomfortable as he carried the chalice awkwardly in his arms. He shifted it about until the crystal rested just under his chin. This place was asking for trouble, couldn't anyone see that? Rorie thought, kicking a loose stone and sent it lightly bouncing over the edge. Where were the monsters like Agamem's teacher had said?

They passed tumbled houses where the stone walls were either half built or knocked off with crumbled blocks littered about it. Many wooden crates were scattered among those houses, bits of damp wood here and there rotting or turning a dark green. The sluice looked abandoned, the long unruly grass untamed and growing to a knee's length and even the trees were fading into an autumn brown.

Rorie took the courage to speak up. "Did anyone use to live here?"

Agamem turned round, assuming he was asking him. "Yes, many of our old ancestors use to thrive here when miasma hadn't spread. Or so the story goes," he replied, his voice whistling through the metal visor of his helmet. "But when miasma did come with an unexpected arrival, it also brought the invasion of monsters and poison in the air."

"Wow, a lot of monsters here isn't there?" Naomi muttered.

He cleared his throat sharply. "Quite, quite. Most unusual it is. I suppose the lack of water has driven the monsters to a temporary move away from here. Rather fortunate for us really, all we have to do is find the pump plants and skidoo ourselves out of here."

Rorie wasn't listening but absentmindedly staring into space as usual, when he spotted something cropped between two pine trees, clinging on the edge. Without thinking he started to stray from the group, intrigued by the huge bulbous green flesh hanging there. Ka Niel was the first to notice, who lingered far at the back; but did nothing to stop him, only watched. Ka Niel was like that, preferring to stay quiet and scrutinize, saying nothing at all. His words were silent but his glare was as hard as flint, silvery dark green with a low thin brow.

Naomi was next to notice by spotting the ring of the crystal's aura's edge moving closer to her at the side, then she immediately looked at Rorie. "Hey rookie, what d'you think you're doing?! Stop moping off!"

Rorie stopped and felt a twinge of guilt almost leaving his friends in the miasma behind him. He had a habit of wandering off. "But, there's something weird over there." He said. "I was just thinking it might be a –"

She cut him short. "It might be your death wish if you don't get your butt back over here!" she growled. Grudgingly, Rorie began to make his way back. As the newest member of the group, it wasn't his choice to do whatever he wanted, and plus he was easily pushed around. But the yuke stood in his way clasping a ball of stone with colour flickering and swirling inside it. His other hand he was waving frantically above his head and Rorie leapt back in alarm when light fizzed on the tips of his furry fingers.

"Life!" cried the yuke and the light streamed from his hand and twirled up into the air, like a ribbon billowing in the wind it glided way and went straight between the two trees to the huge hulk of green. Rorie watched as it landed on it with a splash of streaking light and an explosion of ghostly feathers, then the feathers fluttered to the ground and dissolved into the green bulge. The green bulge reacted instantly and glowed, then as everyone watched in wondering awe it lifted, revealing that it was actually a plant bulb and it opened, unfurling the yellow petals of a flower with the stem rising, as it resembled the figure of a tap.

They all approached it slowly and investigated it while Agamem slipped the orb into his pocket. Keris looked over the ledge and saw water dripping at the mouth of the pump plant where water would soon gush out. "How did you do that? How did you know?"

"Magicite," he replied simply. "A yuke's greatest ally, it has been used for generations and it does more than reviving a sluice. I've learnt that much in my studies so far," He acknowledged Rorie who seemed to be looking at something other than the plant in the distance. He jumped as the giant hand landed on his shoulder. "Quite the glancing fellow, aren't you? If it weren't for you I would never have seen it."

Rorie smiled shyly but looked back at the place where he had seen that shadow. He noticed Ka Niel look in the same direction with him, and found it curious of him. He turned away just in time when the selkie returned his gaze on him.

"Strange," Rorie heard the selkie mutter, and he could feel the glare boring into the back of his head. That's the first thing he had said all day, thought Rorie, thinking about the word 'strange'. Keris seemed to read his thoughts and smiled with a shrug.

"Did she say your name was Rookie?" Agamem asked.

"Yes, she calls me that. But really my name's Rorie." He said. Aside Naomi tutted.

"_She_ has a name, you know." she implied and glowered.

"I'll remember that, Rorie." Said the yuke, ignoring the lilty. Naomi mimicked with exaggerated faces.

They carried on further into the sluice trying hard no to look over the edge. Beyond the stone path was a sheer drop down into the coiling mists of miasma and the ground yawned far below. Rorie withdrew his head and ran back to his group. He didn't mind heights, it was something maybe he was used to living on a high cliff where his village was, overlooking the blue sea and horizon. He could just imagine it now, watching the sunset over the glittering orange surface of the sea. What worried him was the drop itself, what awaited down at the bottom. Rocky boulders? Monsters maybe? Water? He shivered at the thought and tried to think of something else. That was when he saw a gate ahead, shutting off the path in a junction. Agamem pointed at the ground and they all looked, it was an odd plank of wood sticking out of the ground flat side down.

But suddenly Keris understood, walked over to it and as everyone stared weirdly at her, she hopped onto it. It sunk under her feet clicking like a button with a loud clunk and a hissing noise erupted somewhere near them. A geyser steamed hot vapour that could burn the skin off and screamed like a boiling kettle. Rorie jerked away from the choking heat coughing, along with everyone else except the yuke. Agamem wasn't so much as worried about it and walked right into the steam and poked his oak staff into the geyser's hole. There was a popping noise and a thud as something landed right next to Naomi, who was slightly transfixed looking at what just appeared beside her. Keris stepped off the plank, the screaming geyser sighed to a stop, and the yuke came up to Naomi, little drops of dew hanging amongst his thick hide of fur and feathers and picked up the round metal pedestal. He put it in a slot next to the gate and the gate responded with another resounding clunk, and then the gates swung open obediently.

"Here! Over there, there's another one!" shouted Keris, when she ran ahead, indicating a huge bulb like the first they came across. They came down the winding path until it rounded to some steps stretching down inside a basin where water should be flowing. Green lines of grime showed where the water began to sink and sink and sink below the level, to the bottom where not a puddle was in sight. The pump plant at the other end of the huge basin had slumped like the other but it still looked healthy, its green body still a lush green and water dripping at the mouth. Rorie eyed it suspiciously, almost refusing to go near it until Naomi pushed him forward. It looked funny, it was thinner than the other one as well, but the yuke seemed hardly troubled and went straight to work, fishing his magicite from his many pockets. The orb glowed as he muttered the chant.

Rorie plonked the chalice a fair distance away but near the yuke; everybody else seemed busy looking around for any sign of monsters. He took the chance to investigate since he carried no means of weaponry, and went round the bend to check the low cliff where the pump plant clung. The stem went over like a fat cable, not into the ground but into some shrubs. Frowning he started to climb and dug his hands into the soft loamy earth. He cringed in disgust, for some reason it was very slimy. After a bit of struggling with his feet skidding on the mud he heaved himself over and his arms splashed into a puddle. He started, but he saw in alarm that there were puddles everywhere, a small lake surrounding a dangerous bulge in the pump plant. The pump plant was waterlogged, fit to burst! Explode like a bomb!

"Life!" came a cry behind him. He spun round, his heart missing a panicking beat. It was too late; light streamed past his eyes and glowed on the dripping plant.

Rorie ran out into the open over the plant. "Agamem! Stop! Change it ba – " Rorie stopped in mid sentence when he glimpsed black silhouettes in the sky, three and counting. He stuttered in horror. "Monsters!" he cried.

Every face turned to the sky. Naomi threw her head back in disbelief.

"What are they?" she cried.

Agamem inched back with fear. "Those creatures are none other than griffons, so-called protectors of the sluice!" he trilled, shakily grabbing another magicite from his pockets. "Take cover; they're about to attack!"

A griffon hovered in the air with its magnificent golden wings beating the air and its beak wide open, magic surging at the back of its throat and forming a ball of compressed air at its mouth. The other griffons followed suit, aiming at different angles at the ground below.

"Retreat!" bellowed Keris and unhooked her shield while she went. The caravanners tore their eyes from their doom and ran for dear life.

"I did not come here to die!" Naomi flung out her lance and hooked the chalice by its curled tip, and sprinted after everyone. "Where the heck is Rorie?"

The griffons above saw this and discharged the energy from their beaks, a rush of unstable air sliced through so fast it was tainted purple and blue and exploded at the stone floor with a blast of dust and splintered into the rock. They were thrown onto the floor and some were hurtled at the other end. Rorie who was still on the pump plant swayed as he brought up his only defence, his Saintly shield, from the shards of rock sprayed from the impact.

"The pump plant!" He heard a voice that was Agamem's shout after the thunderous noise. A whisk of blue air shot past the yuke, and as he followed it he saw Rorie shielding himself. "Heavens! Rorie watch out!"

Rorie had no time to react, only when he just about peeped over the rim of his shield the cold sharp air exploded on his shield right before him. There was a ripple of air, blasting into Rorie, which sent him careering back into the undergrowth and the pump plant blew up into many juicy pieces.

Keris was struck with terror, having just witnessed her friend being landed with an air strike and disappearing from view. She stumbled to her feet and began to run back but was blocked by a griffon that flocked down before her; she raised her shield just in time to deflect a swipe from its savage row of talons. "Somebody help Rorie!" she cried desperately.

The others were equally busy, two preying on Naomi, neck feathers ruffling as they came for her blazing like possessed demons. Naomi yelped in fear as she tried fending them away but unsuccessfully, her lance was smacked out of her gauntlets and she just missed a hair from a swipe of a talon. Another she just caught a cut through her armour. But suddenly a griffon howled in a screeching cry when it was set alight from a spark of yellow flames, it was quickly alight with burning red fire and it bucked and slashed about wildly before flying off like a meteor. The other shrieked and flew away with it, leaving Naomi scrabbling for her lance. She panted hard, sure she was mincemeat when she glanced up and noticed Agamem who blew a wisp of smoke from his finger.

Rorie felt the air punched out of him when he landed and overturned into water, then slammed into the stem. Pieces of juicy plant flesh spat into his face and he wiped it away. With a cough he rolled onto his side off a lump in the ground, and around him the miasma glittered enticingly like stars. In horror he lifted a hand from the puddle he lay in, his hairs rising icily, and felt the whole ground rumble beneath him. Though the ground quake ferociously, he could just make out the pump plant behind him was gone and the dangerous bulge in the stem was the lump he landed on, and increasing by every terrible second.

_Phew, got it done at last!  Thank you for reading, I knows it's not one of the best of fanfics and maybe someday I could improve if it's so bad (Just say if it is, I wouldn't mind at all!). I love Crystal Chronicles! I mean, who wouldn't? It's so fun to play with a friend, kinda makes me wish we had miasma then we wouldn't have to go to work, or school, college and stuff, and go searching for myrrh instead and beating up a fat crab every day. Tsk, real life can be such a bore._

_Oh and thank you to my only reviewer, Phoenix's Feathers, too._


	3. Myrrh thief

**Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles**

**Full Moon **

**3 Myrrh thief **

Ka Niel swerved out of the way from a jabbing beak and slapped it with his wooden racket. The griffon drew back viciously and swiped at him with her front talons. It just missed him as a bead of sweat left his face, but just when the griffon was about to come at him again a burning corpse of another griffon crashed into it from above and it rolled out of his way. From his cleared view he saw the disappeared pump plant. And the water squirting out of the undergrowth. And water running everywhere.

"Miss Aguine!" he shouted through cupped hands at Keris. Keris knew Ka Niel was the only one who addressed her by her surname and she turned to glance where he pointed. Her eyes widened.

"Everyone! On dry land NOW!" she screamed at the top of her voice.

"What? We are on dry land!"

"I presume she means land that will not be submerged in the next ten seconds!"

They were not the only ones who had seen the water gushing out from where the pump plant was demolished; the last of the griffons eyed it sceptically then shrieked their calls, ear splitting noises that penetrated through ear drums and the caravanners covered their screaming ears as they ran under the griffons' legs. All at once they lifted within a heartbeat and dived and swooped high into the skies flying crazily like they had no idea what to do. Three of the caravanners were scrambling up in the distress; only Keris had stopped to look back and felt water wash over her shoes. The ground quaked and just then an explosion erupted in the distance, a jet of water shot into the air and cascaded down with curling torrents strong enough to run a tree down.

"Rorie, please –!" Keris was flung up the stairs and raced along the path. The water fired past, stinging her legs as she was nearly thrown off the path, but the lilty although small, had an awesome grip that fastened round her arm and they dashed with currents gaining behind them. Suddenly a big furry hand hauled them up and the water hissed angrily as it rushed under their feet. They clung onto a side of the cliff with Agamem steadying Naomi who couldn't get a grip with her metal gauntlets.

"Let go of me you freak of nature!!" she screamed, slashing about.

"Mind who's talking, orange-fuzzed-plume-head," Countered the yuke.

Keris nearly slipped and clung harder. "Agamem, did you see Rorie? Did you somehow –?"

Agamem shook his head. "No, mistress. I hadn't," he said and stared through his metal visor.

Keris was shaking her head with him. She was breathing quickly and shut her eyes "Rorie can't swim," she said and cried, "He's afraid of it!"

"Afraid of water?" the yuke wondered. "I see. A phobia,"

"Where's Ka Niel?"

"Too, he fell in. Slipped right by my side."

They stayed still in silence, Keris weeping into her shoulder and Naomi looking glumly at the water. They all knew selkies somehow managed in water, somehow originating from the sea as a tribe, somehow are able to swim. They felt more chance and luck for Ka Niel, whereas Rorie had none of these properties.

..

Ka Niel plunged in icy water, his knees grazing the bottom, and the cold racing up his spine. A bubble escaped from his mouth as he floundered, then kicked to gasp for the surface. The current dragged him over, and then he was soaring and turning in the air, hesitating through a waterfall. He grabbed a snatch of air before smashing at the bottom and rolled under water again. He swirled as the water curved around another dish of the sluice, he kicked furiously and desperately trying to release himself off the current. He resurfaced and cried in agony as his leg banged against the corner of a staircase.

"Help!"

The selkie looked about, spitting out water and whipping his matte-blue fringe out of his eyes.

"Ka Ni –"

Rorie's voice fell silent, and the selkie slightly panicked looking which-a-ways. He held his nose and dived, the sound of crashing water muffled and distorted in his ears, bubbles spiralling up in his wake. His eyes darted around and he twisted in the uneven waves. The water cleared of the bubbles and he could see, far off, was a figure flashing ahead. He stroked through the water, as hard as he could, and surged forwards when he was nearer, quickly clamping his arms around Rorie and resurfaced beside him.

But he didn't have Rorie in his arms; it was neither a person, but an electric blue creature with flashing white eyes and a grin that was spreading from ear to ear. Ka Niel cried out when the little hands tipped with sharp claws dug into his head as he tried to throw it off but all of a sudden, it exploded in a blast of ice and frosting mist before his eyes.

Ka Niel was sent flying through the air from the close impact, his face pricked with shards of ice and burnt from the cold explosion. He thumped and rolled onto land. Dry land. And for a while, he didn't stir.

..

"Come on we have to find them!" Keris shouted over the noise and pulled herself up at the top of the cliff. She stood up shakily and searched over the flooded scenery. "Roriiiiiie!! Ka Nieeeeeeeel!!" she screamed at bottom of her lungs, her cry echoing over the cliffs.

Naomi pulled up beside her and was slightly punched up further with Agamem climbing at the back, she kicked his helmet.

"Do you mind, mistress?! I'm merely helping," said Agamem as he got himself at the top and righted his helmet.

"Helping yourself more like," snapped Naomi.

"Must you make me out to be a pervert?" he muttered wearily.

Keris raced down the side, shouting over her shoulder. "Stop it you two, find them!!" she vanished through a clump of pine trees and they heard her echoes bounce down the sluice. The yuke and lilty chased after her, calling to their friends as they went deeper into the network of the sluice.

..

… Rorie … rie …ee … e…

… Ka Niel … Niel … …

"Ka Niel!"

Ka Niel woke abruptly to his name and was gasping for breath. He glanced around him and saw the water crashing not far from him.

"Rorie?" he asked himself.

He threw himself into a run, gaining speed as he ran alongside the crumbling path of the dish. And there curving round was Rorie hanging on to a jutting part of the path where it had been smashed out of the way and water roaring over it into the depths below. Rorie's hands were slipping, the rolling rocks were dislodging and the path receding. Ka Niel hadn't a moment to spare and lunged for him, his arms outstretched over the rocks. He could hear Rorie sputtering and coughing with water, the rocks bumped and shuddered forward. His hand fell onto Rorie's but it came away so fast. Before he could understand what was happening, Rorie slid and the rocks gave way under him. The clavat was washed down with the rocks, down into the coiling mists of miasma and darkness. Ka Niel thrust himself back a bit. He stared with uncertainty, his chest heaving and breathless.

Rorie was gone. He crouched at the edge, his sandals balancing as he surveyed the swirls of miasma and the clouds of foam rising from the bottom. Too high to drop down, too slippery to climb, nothing but crashing water. Nothing until he saw a shadow pass down there as well. Ka Niel squinted suspiciously. It darted too fast and couldn't make anything out. He sat up, could that have been Rorie? But Rorie was gone.

Pebbles skittered and clinked about behind him as though they were being kicked. He whirled round and something peculiar caught his eye, that something sprinted past a gate and disappeared over a wall. Intrigued the selkie pursued it, slipping through the gates that were about to close and climbed over the wall that the thing picked over with agility. His feet came down with a thud that echoed round an empty arena. An arena? Ka Niel viewed his surroundings carefully. Why would there be an arena in a sluice? Strolling around he stepped over broken barrels and his sandals cracked against dried wood littered around the place. An echo again. He stopped.

Echo, drip drip, echo.

He didn't make a sound; he knew with certainty, but listened. Then who did? A different sound now, like flicking on a light switch. He turned in its direction, and stared at a giant Golem, until his eye became level with a fist the size of a huge boulder aimed straight at him.

It clicked again but this time the fist hurtled and blasted his way like an ignited rocket. It slammed him in less than a second, propelling him into barrels and a stack of crates.

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size you big hunk of bolts and screws!"

"That's the sluice's guardian and protector you're implying to,"

"Well, what's his problem smacking an oversized knuckle at Ka Niel?"

"Oh for heaven's sake, ZIP it you two!"

Ka Niel pulled himself up, groaning as his back ached with a dull pain. The ground trembled beneath him and he saw the Golem charge at his caravan party, two red glowing eyes shadowing behind a steel metal helm and huge giant arms as big as boulders swinging to and fro. One of the arms snagged at Keris' shield and the other missing Naomi who slid the chalice into the centre. The yuke on the far end flicked his hand and a stream of fire blazed but reflected off the Golem's body ineffectively.

Ka Niel reached up to gently soothe his throbbing head when his elbow knocked against wood. He turned; his shoulder was leaning at a gate that blocked an area off. Blue and turquoise shimmered through the gaps. Myrrh tree, he thought instantly, but there was something else there with it as well. A person. Ka Niel grabbed the wooden bars and shook it about, the gate stubbornly stayed closed and quickly he put a foot on top of a crate and climbed to the gate's reaches. He dropped to the floor and cried out as pain erupted from the base of his heels. When he looked up, the person stood before the myrrh tree.

He jerked up, dashed across the brick tiles and leaped at the moat circling the little island of the sacred tree. His sandals plipped at the shallow pool and the individual turned hearing it, dead white flowing hair blowing across his face.

"You're too late, caravanner," murmured the hollow tone in the voice, he looked a youth despite his pristine ashen hair colour. He slowly held out a glass phial and shook the turquoise liquid inside it. "Bone dry."

Ka Niel lashed out, seizing the individual's arms and pinning him down with a tussle. The moss dangling from the myrrh tree tickled his shoulder and back, the jagged scar visibly red under his chin.

"You thief." Ka Niel spat and drew his face closer. "As long as you live, my hatred burns. Every drop of myrrh you steal. Every life that dies because of you. Every crystal that withers under your rotten shadow, I will pursue your death. You won't live for long."

The thief was merely uninspired. "Is that so?"

Ka Niel gripped his wrists. "My life is my job – I'll chase you, White Reaper Erion, for as long as your history of robbery stretches. It'll end, and I'll destroy you!"

Erion's drawn features reflected the selkie's pink anger, and his grey eyes misted over. "I have a question then, caravanner," he crooned. "Who has the advantage then? The mortal or…"

As the thief spoke, Ka Niel became aware of a glowing light streaking at his neck and made him squint. It was in the shape of a pendant, a necklace of some sort round his pale neck. All of a sudden it emitted a blinding light and scarred the pupils with a black ink stain in the eye. Ka Niel shielded his sight, blinking and let go of the thief. Erion threw him off and as Ka Niel blinked through impaired vision the thief was upon him with a long and deadly weapon.

"Or a phantom?" he finished.

The stars twinkled in his eyes, but as he could just make out, the thief was off him within a furtive moment and glided towards the gates, catapulted off his long scythe and vaulted over it.

Keris raised her sword and urged it through a joint in the Golem's small legs, risking the chance when it was being distracted. The Golem groaned above and returned her with a bat of its huge fist, sending her skittering and her sword still jammed in its limbs. She held her shield up protectively as another fist crashed against her and she was rolled off balance from the impact

The Golem brandished a fist, readying a fixed target when weight was suddenly on its side and it toppled a little and swerved. Keris saw as she glanced up something white had clung to the Golem, and balancing against its angry turning and thrashing around. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was the White Reaper, the rumoured myrrh thief.

The white thief struggled but fought for a position, steadying himself on its head he grasped his scythe with both hands and struck down, swooping in a long arc the scythe's sharp point embedded through the Golem's chest. There was a crack and splinter of glass. The spellbound caravanners watched in fixed terror and awe when the Golem came to an abrupt halt, the yellow light winking red on the centre where the scythe pierced through, the base of its eternal heart shattered. The White Reaper released his weapon, and the Golem shuddered, losing its blue aura and the red dots as eyes sunk into the shadows of its helm. The giant collapsed forward in a heap of scrap metal.

At the gates of the myrrh tree, Ka Niel slipped and fell down to the ground over the gate, still blinded but he managed to make out a few black figures in the arena.

The thief saw the selkie, and made haste. Kicking Keris' sword towards her he fled and jumped over the cliff's edge into miasma. Just as Ka Niel regained his sight, it was just the place where Rorie had fallen.

..

_Yays another chapter! W00t! I finally got my ass round to do this! Phew! So, how is everybody today? (Actually I don't know why I sound like I'm talking to a lot of people, I hardly have any reviewers. Oh well) Hm, what should I say. I'll just talk a bit about myself if that's okay. Who loves pokemon? I love pokemon since it started out from the gameboy games red and blue. And you can imagine the little gallery I have of the stuff in my room. I say little because I lost most of it when I moved houses. It was really quite sad, but I still have my pokemon gold and T-shirt!_

_Thank you soo much to anyone that has read my story! I love you guys!_

_Current mood pokemon: Kadabra_


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